Inspire, Spring 2008

20 spring 2008 known 10 years ago in Sunday school class that we would be sitting here today.” Industry Innovation At the time of the purchase, CFA had fewer than 10 employees and was housed in a 1,500-square-foot office. Total revenues increased 100 percent in the first year, and now, just over two years later, the team consists of 32 employees and is still growing in both size and revenue. “Our data center alone is larger than our first office,” Todd said. In early 2006, Randall East ’95 joined the CFA team as corporate sales manager. “He’s an incredible asset and deserves much of the credit for the growth that we have experienced,” remarked Todd. “He’s part of our executive team and is our number-one salesperson.” CFA Networks aims to be a total IT solutions provider for its customers. Although the company does provide specialized support for large enterprise companies, including some with international operations, most of its clients are small and mid-size businesses with limited or no IT staff. “We become their virtual IT support team,” Todd said. This support includes company engineers who can work on site, as well as a 24-hour network operations center that provides monitoring and remote support. Community Concerns It’s clear that God is truly blessing their business endeavor, but running a successful company is only a small part of the legacy that Kevin, Craig, and Todd hope to build. They are committed to the community in which they live and work through involvement in a variety of educational, charitable, and ministerial opportunities. CFA’s core values include integrity, stewardship, teamwork, community, respect, and family. “It’s about making a difference where we live,” Todd said. “Springfield is in rebirth mode, and we want to be a good partner to the community. We moved our office downtown for a reason — we want to be part of this resurgence.” CFA has participated in the city’s renaissance in a number of ways. For one, they were an active partner in bringing free wireless Internet service to downtown. This year, the company also sponsored and organized a technology conference called Fusion, the first of its kind in Springfield. Pro football Hall of Famer Anthony Muñoz was the keynote speaker, and the biggest and best names in the computer industry were there, including Cisco, HP, and Microsoft. The partners plan to make the conference an annual event. CFA is also part of a program known as HopeTech, which secures laptops for Springfield city students and introduces the technology into the curriculum. In addition, company employees are involved in many civic programs such as the Boy Scouts, Chamber of Commerce, 4-H clubs, the Springfield Rotary Grand Prix, and the Springfield Center City Criterium (a 5K and bike race), along with coaching youth sports and participation on local school boards. CFA is a partner of Cedarville University’s Students in Free Enterprise program as well. “We’ve been extremely blessed to have this opportunity, and we want to give back,” Todd said. “If the Lord allows, we’d love to provide technical support for missionaries someday. That’s where our vision lies.” For now, the partners are personally participating in short-term missions. Last year, Kevin went on a work mission to Mali, West Africa, and Craig joined Kids Alive to minister in the Dominican Republic. He plans to return this year. Another way that the partners have decided to give back is through scholarships for college students. Annual CFA Excellence in Technology scholarships are available not only to Cedarville undergraduates, but also to students at Clark State Community College and Wittenberg University, both located in Springfield. In addition, the company has established a college scholarship for a Springfield City High School senior. Helping students with educational expenses is a cause close to the partners’ hearts.